Little Treasures
by tetsuyacchi
Summary: Eren loved nothing more than exploring the deep waters for treasures long forgotten of the world above the sea. He found them endlessly fascinating. One day, whilst on his travels, he came across a lone cave. It was here, he met the mysterious Sea Wizard.


Eren Yeager was the only child of Grisha and Carla Yeager, both loving and devoted parents.

However, Grisha was their colony's best healer and was eagerly sort after for his success in keeping their people thriving. Carla, the devoted wife she was, never strayed too far from her mate and husband, meaning Eren was often left alone to explore the wonders of the underwater world around him.

He didn't mind – if anything he loved it! All this _freedom_ to do as he wished, he could never get enough. His parents trusted him to stay safe, and Eren was required to meet up with them both at the community cave once a month to catch up and bond.

Otherwise, Eren was free to travel and bask in the vast waters to his desire.

Eren was tanned, like most sea-dwellers in their colony; his skin shone golden like the rays of light that hit the water's surface during the daytime. His hair a warm brown inherited from his mother that trailed behind him whenever he swam. But that would rest across his shoulders as he rested.

Like the glittering scales that adorned his tail; his eyes were a mismatched pair of enthralling teal and vibrant gold. His parents had been told by a travelling MerSeer that his mismatched eyes were an omen of good fortune; that his spirit would be forever seeking adventure and excitement.

The reflecting light only highlighted their intensity as he searched the ocean floor. Eren loved to explore the deep waters for treasures long forgotten of the world above the sea. He found them endlessly fascinating.

One day, whilst on his travels, he came across a lone cave. It was here, he met the Sea Wizard.

Eren knew of the Sea Wizard, everyone did in his home.

The lone wizard was a powerful being who was said to hypnotise passing dwellers to their deaths with his musical voice. There were many rumours about the wizard; some say he had massacred an entire village, whilst others swear they saw him spell innocent dwellers under his rule, making them perform cruel acts in his favour.

Sea Wizards were revered and despised in equal measure. Eren's mother had told tales of their mystifying lyrics that could enchant the current or soothe the pain of any sting; the water rushing to do their bidding.

They resembled Eren himself; a sea dweller, yet they held the power of magic within their lungs. He had been fascinated when hearing the tales and often dreamed of what they were really like. Surely, they couldn't _all_ be so bad, right?

Eren could admit he'd become slightly enamoured with the thought of meeting one of these elusive Sea Wizards; a reverent need to see such a powerful being for himself.

Today, it seemed, was his lucky day.

As soon as he laid eyes on the being, Eren was entranced.

The wizard was an enchanting sight to behold, one that contradicted the portrayal in the tales Eren had been told. His skin was white, almost translucent and the veins on his arms and hands decorated his skin like the rivets and indentations on the palest shell.

His hair was ink-black that fell just short of his brows and was parted in the centre, the ends reaching only to the tips of his ears. The rest of the Wizard's hair was cut short to the scalp and was lighter in tone.

Eren peered into narrow eyes and could do nothing but marvel at their beauty. The orbs were a grey colouring that – when contrasted against his dark hair – reminded Eren of a pair of shining, smooth shells.

Despite his alluring eyes, the Wizard held such a dark intensity and Eren could feel the cool assessing gaze as he swam slowly closer.

In the darkness of the cave, he was like a hidden pearl, nestled within the comfort of its oyster. Like the ones Eren himself would collect and cherish. He had now found something to rival that beauty.

A new, shining pearl to admire.

* * *

"Do you not fear me?" The wizard had one day asked.

His voice was deep and gravelly, yet Eren found it a soothing tone to his ears. It barely disturbed the current when he spoke.

Eren had come to visit the wizard daily since discovering the cave, bringing treasures big and small to show his new friend. Eren had yet to learn the wizard's name, but he felt they were friends none the less.

"Why should I ever be afraid of you?" Eren perfectly recalled the stories that spoke of the sea wizard; however, he would not say such things aloud.

The wizard himself, however, looked confused.

"Surely you have heard the tales they spin of me?" His tone was even, but Eren could hear the underlying tension behind the question.

"Tales that have been spun no longer hold much truth, do they?" Eren mused.

He could not believe that his friend and the terrifying sea wizard from tales of old were the same. He would not believe that his friend, _his_ _pearl_, who carried within him such soothing, alluring melodies, would ever intentionally hurt someone.

"Even the most spun tales hold some truth," the wizard admitted.

"Then I will wait to hear the original," Eren declared.

"What would make you believe I would ever tell you such a tale?" his deep voice spoke bluntly.

"I'd like to think friends share each other's secrets," Eren said, wearing a beaming smile; his eyes crinkling at the corners.

The wizard's narrow eyes widened slightly at the sight and he looked shocked until a small smile graced his usually stern face, softening the pinched expression and making him look years younger.

Eren continued visiting the wizard day after day. His parents had commented on his rather distant expression when they met up for his monthly bonding, but Eren had assured them he was fine; only eager to continue on with his exploration.

Grisha had smiled fondly at his son's adventurous spirit while Carla had pinched his cheeks and complained that he was growing up much too quickly, that she wanted her little baby boy back.

As the days passed, Eren began leaving earlier each morning, eager to see his friend. He left before the waters had fully brightened and slipped into the morning darkness, his newest treasure clutched between tan fingers.

It was as he was closing in on his friend's cave that danger struck.

A school of electric eels were heading his way and Eren had no warning to flee; he could do nothing but hiss in pain as they struck, their elongated bodies twisting and turning around his own.

They wrapped their lean bodies around his own, their muscles clenching as they tried to crush the bones in his fragile body. Their small dark eyes held the greed and hunger of a predator and Eren couldn't help but fear for his life. Their shocks burnt his skin upon contact and his limbs spasmed in agony.

Over his cries of pain, he faintly heard a distant hum, one that rippled the surrounding water and sang with the warning of a looming threat. The water around Eren began to bubble and froth, hiding him from the sight of the eels behind a wall of foam. When the creatures attempted to attack yet again, their bodies recoiled as they thrashed in pain from the boiling heat.

Sensing defeat, the eels made a hasty retreat and with it, Eren could breathe calmly again.

Bright eyes searched around for his saviour, for he knew only his friend wielded such powerful magic. When the wizard reached Eren, he pulled him into a fierce hug.

The wizard's strong arms wrapped around Eren's thin waist, whilst his head lay against the boy's shoulder. Eren heard a deep, calm humming and felt, more than saw, as his small wounds began to heal.

"I heard the screams...I heard your pain," the wizard said.

His gravelly voice held concern and his toned chest was trembling slightly. Eren wondered if such grand displays of magic had drained his friend. He voiced his concerns, worry evident in his tone.

"I tremble only from the panic of seeing you in such danger, Eren."

Eren was shocked, for he had thought the wizard unable to care so deeply for him. He immediately felt ashamed for this train of thought, _his friend had just saved him_, and so he hugged the other back tightly, rubbing their cheeks together comfortingly.

After a moment, Eren decided to focus on what he had originally come for and so pushing himself back slightly, he gave a crooked grin as he thrust his hands out and presented his treasure, which he had gripped protectively against his chest throughout the whole ordeal.

"For you," he declared.

"A shell?" the wizard asked, unamused.

He seemed to have forgotten their earlier scare – for now – and instead took the shell in his calloused fingers, examining it curiously, trying to find what special quality it held.

It offered nothing an ordinary shell did not already, though he could admit the smattering of grey tones were somewhat unusual; the shell itself looked faded and bleached as it faded into white at the top, likely from exposure of life above waters.

"It reminded me of you. Its colour starts with a deep grey, like your eyes; and yet in the right light it shines a pale white, similar to your skin."

Eren had known he must capture the treasure as soon as he had laid eyes upon it, trapped within the rocks near the shore. He looked to his friend with earnest mismatched orbs of teal and gold, and for the second time since they had met, he was greeted to the sight of the wizard's soft smile, one slightly brighter than the last.

"Levi," the wizard murmured after a moment of silence.

"_Levi_…?" Eren repeated.

"My name...my name is Levi," the wizard – no, _Levi__,_ said.

He looked rather uncomfortable having shared this little piece of information and the stern look returned to his face. Yet Eren could do nothing but grin at his precious friend. _His Levi_.

"It seems I must stop calling you _pearl_ within my mind, and Levi instead," Eren said with a beautiful smile.

"_Pearl_?" Levi repeated with furrowed brows; his tone confused.

Eren hummed with flushed cheeks, his wide eyes staring at the wizard in fondness. "When I first saw you, I thought you were my very own pearl, hidden in your shell," he admitted.

He was awarded an enchanting sight as a light smattering of pink dusted Levi's pale cheeks, his narrow eyes averted, yet the glimmer of affection was easily visible to Eren's sharp sight.

* * *

Eren continued to visit Levi's cave for weeks on end and eagerly begged him to perform magic of all kinds.

Levi was at first reserved. Nobody had wanted to witness his magic before. His experience of travelling the ocean alone had made him hostile towards others and it'd only been his immense strength, magical prowess and cunning that had let him live this long.

His interactions with other sea dwellers had left much to be desired and often ended with Levi having to make haste with his escape when old foes caught wind of his arrival.

Eren's enthusiasm, however, was infectious and Levi wanted nothing more than to please his only friend. He also couldn't deny a small part of him thrived to show off his skills, his_ power_, especially to Eren; who looked up at him with gorgeous mismatched eyes that brimmed with admiration and awe.

They spent their days laying on the seabed, Eren watching with glee as Levi sang and spun currents of water into twisting tornadoes above them. He wove the water into perfect copies of lively dolphins, serene sting rays and bumbling pufferfish.

Eren was transfixed by the magic and Levi's voice would continue to play in the background of his marvel; a constant, reassuring melody. His deep voice was alluring in itself, Eren thought, even without the magical aspect. It was a smooth timber that put him at ease and he felt his body relax even further, comfortably leaning deeper into Levi's side in contentment.

"What happened in your past, Levi? What nerves you so that you fear showing such wonderful magic to others?" Eren asked as the pair watched the magical sailfish race one another.

Levi's calming tune tapered off, and with it, the racing illusions began to fade. Eren seemingly understood the wizard's worries for he lay his golden hand upon Levi's porcelain one, sending him a comforting smile.

"I'll never judge you Levi, and I'll _never_ leave you. I only wish to understand."

Levi was troubled. He hadn't ever let anyone in like he had with Eren and he wasn't sure he could take the rejection after finally learning to open himself up to someone.

However, he trusted him more than anybody, _his Eren_.

Eren, who had travelled miles across many currents just to visit him, waking early morn to stay even till the waters began to darken with nightfall. Eren, who brought him the most wondrous treasures he could find, big or small. Who'd become excited upon even the smallest glimpse of Levi's magic and would gift him that blindingly beautiful smile that lit up the boy's face and made Levi's cold heart beat wildly in his chest.

He felt he could trust his friend, and so with a calming breath, he began his tale.

"I never knew any of my family but my mother; for the first half of my childhood, I remember only herself and I. The times weren't pleasant, they were harsh and my mother was often fraught with sickness..."

Eren tightened his hand which held Levi's, showing his silent support.

"There live many shadows in my memory, figures I can't recall even to this day. The next memory I have is of a faceless man; one who taught me to fight and use my magic to defend myself…and harm others…" Levi trailed off, looking away. His voice had become a mere whisper in shame.

"Life can be cruel; of that, I find out first-hand. The faceless man soon left and I found myself all alone in this vast ocean. I had to learn to fight for myself – against real enemies, ones who cared nought for my young age or inexperience. They were the scum of the sea, inhabiting the deepest of the seabed, in the shadows that hide them."

Levi's voice had deepened and was coarse, his disdain evident between clenched teeth.

"I won't go into detail…but eventually, I left that hell, travelling the waters alone for years until I could find better tides. I learnt much in my travels, most importantly the truth of my mother; she was a frail creature that had become smitten with a human – those that live above the water. He was a sailor and spent much of his time on boats scoring the seas. He left my mother heartbroken and nothing to her name…nothing but me."

Eren could tell Levi held much adoration for his late mother, and Eren could relate to his sentiment. His mother meant the whole ocean to him; she was the warmth in his heart and the light in his life. He loved her wholly and deeply, and the thought of losing her so early in life left him with a hollowness that scared him.

Eren Yeager could not imagine a life without his mother. Carla Yeager was a treasure to cherish.

Listening to his tale, Eren felt tears fill his doe-like eyes. As they fell, they vanished into the surrounding water, leaving only blotchy red in their wake.

Levi's tale was a tragedy and though he liked to portray a stern front, Eren could see just how deeply his mother's death had scarred him.

To lose someone you loved above all else, was an overwhelming and terrifying thought.

Eren felt his chest tighten and warm at the trust Levi had shown him by sharing his tale. He couldn't help but feel it was his duty to stick with Levi no matter what dangers crossed their path. He wouldn't disappoint his friend after learning how much Levi had been through in his life. How much he had struggled through alone.

"You're really strong, Levi. I'm proud of you...thank you for the trust you've shown me," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

Levi looked up from where he'd been gazing at their clasped hands, a hesitant smile gracing his face. The corners of his mouth only upturned just the slightest, yet Eren could see the gratitude and understanding; thankful he'd listened so intently and offered his devoted loyalty and companionship in return.

"I trust you most of all."

Eren gazed upon his friend and gave his biggest grin yet; gums visible from a wide grin and a dusting of pink across soft, tanned cheeks. He felt his chest tighten once more with a deep sense of warmth.

Eren had already found the most priceless treasure in the whole sea, and it was right in front of him.


End file.
